Seventeen years young Werner von Siemens arrived in Berlin. He dreamt of studying at the Bauakademie. Lack of funds dashed those hopes. Instead he joined the School of Engineering and Artillery. He later called these his happiest years. Berlin became his lifelong home.
This unassuming spot near Anhalter Bahnhof marks the beginning of a global empire. Here in Kreuzberg in 1847 Werner von Siemens and Georg Halske founded the Telegraphen-Bau-Anstalt von Siemens & Halske. Their workshop was in a backyard. The building itself is gone. An S-Bahn elevator stands in its place. But the legacy remains.
Their humble beginnings grew. Just five years later they moved to larger premises at Markgrafenstrasse 94. This factory is also long gone. Yet this small Kreuzberg backyard launched a technological revolution. Their early success in telegraph construction laid the foundation. Siemens’ ingenuity extended beyond telegraphs.
1866 was a pivotal year. Werner von Siemens discovered the dynamoelectric principle. This breakthrough made electricity cheaper to produce. Electric lights and motors became a reality. Berlin’s transformation into a modern metropolis began. Siemens’ innovations led the way. He didn’t live to see the Berlin elevated railway open in 1902. However his influence is still felt today.
By the 1880s Siemens & Halske employed nearly 900 people. Growth demanded expansion. Cable production moved to Charlottenburg in 1884. The Kreuzberg plant focused on low-current equipment. Production continued there until 1905.
The company’s relentless success continued. In the 1890s Siemens & Halske employed 3000 people. More space was needed. Werner von Siemens died in 1892. Five years later his son Georg Wilhelm acquired land in Siemensstadt. A whole new district was built. The Siemensstadt housing estate is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Siemens story isn’t just about factories and inventions. It’s about the transformation of a city. It’s about a young man’s dream and its astonishing realization. From a Kreuzberg backyard to a global corporation. From humble beginnings to a lasting impact on Berlin. This is the enduring legacy of Werner von Siemens.